Of Stays, Sampaguita, and Social Action

Three years on, Megaworld Global Hotels & Resorts celebrates how mindful travelers and communities
are bringing Filipino hospitality beyond hotel walls.

Megaworld Global Hotels & Resorts (MGHR) is fortifying its efforts to make social responsibility an
integral part of its hospitality commitment, creating more opportunities for travelers to support local
communities, celebrate Filipino culture and contribute to meaningful causes throughout their stays.
As MGHR marks the third anniversary of its Sampaguita advocacy, the hotel group recognizes the
growing community of guests, volunteers and partners helping restore the national flower's cultural
relevance and sustain its presence for future generations.

“Travelers are becoming more conscious of what their choices support, and hospitality must respond.
For us, mindful travel is no longer optional. We want every guest, in every hotel, to have the opportunityto participate in something meaningful. Sustainability must become a standard mindset across how we conceptualize and execute our operations, not simply an occasional activity. Our responsibility is to make it easier for people to care and act on that concern,” said Socrates “Sonny” Alvaro, Managing
Director of Megaworld Global Hotels & Resorts.

The movement reflects changing travel preferences. According to Booking.com's 2025 Travel &
Sustainability Report, 73% of surveyed travelers want their spending to benefit local communities, 69%
hope to leave destinations better than they found them, and 77% seek authentic experiences
representative of local culture.

Bringing a Filipino icon back into everyday life

Once central to a flourishing trade and generations of Filipino traditions, the sampaguita has long been
woven into religious offerings, welcome garlands, celebrations and everyday expressions of affection
and respect.

Yet declining cultivation, changing land use and evolving lifestyles have challenged the livelihood and
traditions surrounding the country's national flower.

For MGHR, the opportunity is to restore the sampaguita's relevance by giving it greater visibility, newapplications and a meaningful place in contemporary Filipino life.

Launched in August 2023 in support of the Department of Tourism's Filipinization efforts, the advocacyaims to champion the sampaguita as a recognizable Philippine icon of hospitality, celebrating the values of love, honor, dignity and healing. Its cultural relevance continues to find fresh expressions, including Filipina tennis sensation Alex Ealas sampaguita-inspired Nike apparel and accessories, which have brought the familiar flower onto the international sporting stage.

A growing community that chooses to care

MGHRs Sampaguita Room Package has generated a total of 4,878 room nights in the past three years.
In 2026, the packaged has generated 1,582 room nights, a 25% increase in room production compared
with 2025, reflecting interest in culturally inspired stays connected to a larger purpose.

Beyond hotel stays, more than 40 Sampaguita planting activities have mobilized hundreds of volunteers, contributing thousands of minutes of collective service toward bringing the national flower
closer to communities.

From Boracay and Cebu to Iloilo, Cavite, Batangas, Boracay, Bulacan and Laguna, the advocacy has
united local government units, tourism stakeholders, residents, educators, students, hospitality
professionals and civic organizations.

Collaborations have included the University of the Philippines Asian Institute of Tourism, Global-Estate
Resorts, Inc. Rotary Club of Biñan, LGU of Lapu Lapu, and so much more demonstrating how the initiative reaches across generations, professions and communities.

Together, these efforts have helped plant over 7,000 Sampaguita seedlings, an encouraging expression
of how people from different walks of life can rally around a shared cultural purpose.

From planting seedlings to growing opportunities

Among the advocac’s milestones is the establishment of the 4,300-square-meter Sampaguita Park in
Southwoods City, Biñan, Laguna, creating space for cultural preservation, cultivation and potential
livelihood opportunities.

Through its partnership with Dwellbeing, MGHR has also helped provide more than 10,000 meals to the
beneficiaries of non-government organization Project PEARLS, extending its commitment to
communities beyond hospitality.

Inviting more people into the movement

As the advocacy enters its fourth year, MGHR continues to welcome participation through Sampaguita-
inspired stays, seedling sponsorships, community planting engagements and partnerships with schools
and educational institutions.

For MGHR, the milestone celebrates a growing willingness among people to contribute their time,
resources and attention to a purpose beyond any single brand.

The next chapter belongs just as much to the guests choosing meaningful stays, the communities
nurturing the seedlings and the students discovering new reasons to take pride in their heritage.
Because a hotel stay may last only a few nights, but the good it inspires can continue long after
checkout.